


Fanboy

by helvel



Series: Fanboy Expanded Universe [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-08-20 10:59:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8246462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helvel/pseuds/helvel
Summary: Just because Hux works at a Star Wars theme park doesn't mean he's some kind of fanboy. His appreciation for the series is entirely respectable, thank you very much. His coworker, Kylo Ren, is the weird one - that guy seems to wish he really was Darth Vader. And anyway, the reason Hux has been spending his evenings with Ren is not because they're working on an epic self-insert Star Wars fanfic. It's because they're... frenemies with benefits? No, that's even worse. Shit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by [this](https://pixiepunch.tumblr.com/post/140134646762/modern-au-where-kylo-and-hux-are-part-of-a-star) lovely piece of art by pixiepunch. I've written Kylo and Hux as fanfiction authors rather than LARPers, but I must give credit and thanks for the idea of a modern AU where The Force Awakens characters are Star Wars fans daydreaming themselves into a sequel!

 "Hux. Hux. Hey, Hux."

" _What._ "

"Do you ever get back pain from having that stick lodged so far up your ass?"

Hux doesn't even look at Ren. " _One,_ you have no understanding of human anatomy, and _two_ -"

"Thirty seconds!" Finn calls from the doorway. It's their cue to get back into character for the next group of guests touring through the _Deathstar Experience._ Hux smooths down his Imperial uniform and Finn wedges his stormtrooper helmet back onto his head. Ren doesn't need to replace his own Darth Vader helmet, because he never takes it off. He'd probably take it home and sleep in it if he was allowed to. Instantly in character, he storms over to the side door, where Rey is slipping onto the set and hurriedly adjusting the buns of her wig.

Hux takes his place before the 'viewport' with a blurry projection of Alderaan on the other side. He gets into position: straight-backed and rigid, he lifts his hand to let his forefinger and thumb rest against his lip. It's the pose that Grand Moff Tarkin adopted at the pending destruction of Yavin 4, not Alderaan, but the reenactment scripts of the _Deathstar Experience_ are based on evocativeness more than accuracy to the movies.

The doors slide open as the guests enter, and the scene begins.

Tarkin turns at the approaching sound of Vader's breathing, finding Vader drawing near with the captive Princess Leia. Leia appears a small and delicate thing before Vader's imposing bulk, but her face is absolutely fierce as she glares up at Tarkin.

"Governor Tarkin. I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash," she says with a sneer. "I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

Tarkin allows her a twitch of the lips that might have been a smile on a kinder face. "Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it-"

" _Is that guy supposed to be Tarkin?_ "

"-signing the order to terminate your life," Tarkin finishes. He ignores the heckler, though Leia's face flickers with annoyance. She shoots a glare in the direction of the guests, but continues.

"I'm surprised you had the courage to-"

" _What the fuck? Why didn't they get an old guy to play Tarkin?_ "

Leia doesn't finish her line, even when Tarkin clears his throat to prompt her. She's nearly baring her teeth at the heckler. Though the script doesn't allow for it, Tarkin spares a glance in the direction. The boy is eleven, twelve at most; a pre-teen ripe with all the bloodthirst of youth, and none of puberty's self-consciousness to temper it. His mother, nearby, is staring at her phone as if she doesn't hear anything around her.

" _Hey, Tarkin, what's with the shitty makeup? Are those supposed to be wrinkles? Why is your hair painted white?_ "

Phasma usually keeps guests under tight control in her role as the tour guide, but this is the last group for the day and she may as well have clocked out already. She, too, is staring at her phone as if she doesn't hear anything around her, while the child continues shouting taunts.

Tarkin ignores him. This child will not be the first heckler, nor will he be the last, and he is not worth breaking character for.

"Princess Leia," Tarkin says, "before your execution-"

" _Look, that fucker is actually a ginger!_ "

In three great strides, Vader crosses the room and wraps his hands around the child's neck.

The child lets out a choked gasp as he's lifted off his feet. His mother drops her phone and shrieks. Phasma looks up from her phone as well, but it's only to start filming the scene. Hux cannot look away. Finn raises his plastic blaster as if to bash Ren over the head with it, and Rey is halfway over the barrier (to stop Ren or join him, unknown) before Hux has enough sense to shout, " _Vader, release him!_ "

It's a direct quote from Tarkin, though its delivery holds none of Peter Cushing's rolling accent. Still, Ren drops the child, who scampers from the room with his mother behind him.

Finn follows them, spouting apologies, with Rey at his heels. Phasma turns to Hux and Ren, and it's hard to say if she's happier about her shift ending early, or about catching that pandemonium on video.

"Later, nerds," she drawls at them, heading towards the dressing rooms.

Ren hasn't moved, but it's clear from his posture that the tension has drained away with his outburst. He appears relaxed now, at ease, while Hux gapes at him.

" _Ren,_ " is all he can manage to say.

"That kid was annoying," Ren grunts. The voice modulator in Vader's helmet makes the statement sound more respectable than it should.

"Annoying children come here every day! Why did you have to attack that one?"

"Well..."

Hux shakes his head. "You'll lose your job for this. Or worse. You attacked a guest. A _child!_ "

"Snoke wouldn't fire me."

The PA system lets out a burst of static, and a crackling voice rasps, " _Kylo Ren, report to my office._ "

If Ren's expression changes at all, it's hidden behind the Vader helmet. He's still for a long moment before he turns in the direction of the park manager's office, leaving Hux alone on the set.

Alderaan explodes seconds later. It would have been timed perfectly if the scene had gone as planned, but now it startles Hux so bad that he actually jumps.

He allows himself to groan as he drags his hands over his face, smearing his makeup. The scene plays over and over in his mind: Ren striding across the room, his coworkers scrambling, and Hux himself, frozen in panic.

In actuality it had been only moments before he found his voice, but those few long seconds of helplessness were agonizing to recall. It wasn't like him to freeze like that. Hux is known for thriving under pressure, and he takes particular care to manage his life so that it never escalates into anything beyond his control.

This hasn't quite held true since he met Kylo Ren.

* * *

It's been over a year now, but Hux can still recall his reaction when Phasma announced her new job. Initially, it had been confusion.

"What do you mean, you got a job at the Star Trek theme park?" he'd asked. "Where is that?"

"It's that rusted old wreck off Highway 8. With the spaceships and the big death moon thing and light savers. You know, that stuff you're _obsessed_ with?"

Hux had managed to bite his tongue. "Star _Wars._ That's a Star Wars theme park."

"Whatever, nerd."

They celebrated that evening, but as Hux emptied a second bottle of wine into their glasses, he could not stop thinking about how strange it was. How had Phasma, who had never seen a Star Wars movie in her life, been hired as a Star Wars tour guide? Hux was happy for his friend, if a little jealous, but it didn't make any sense.

A few weeks later, another job became available at the park. Hux submitted an application, just to see what would happen. He didn't expect anything to come from it. Then he was called in for an audition, and offered the job a few days later.

 _It didn't make any sense!_ Hux's resume had no prior acting experience, and he hardly suited the character. The only thing that might have qualified him was the extraordinary cover letter attached to his application: a five-page character analysis he'd written about Grand Moff Tarkin, with citations and footnotes. Surely it was this deep understanding of the character that had won Hux the job, against all odds. It didn't take long for Hux to realize the truth:

Snoke didn't, doesn't, and never will give a shit about anyone or anything in his park.

The _Deathstar Experience_ is the worst example of this. It's the only attraction that requires character actors, as guests can tour through the 'Deathstar' and watch live-action enactments of everything from the Millennium Falcon's landing, to the battle between Obi-Wan and Vader, to the escape with the rescued Princess Leia. It's the signature attraction of the park, yet as long as employees show up on time and don't cause too much trouble, Snoke doesn't care who works there.

It's why Hux was hired to play a role he's forty years too young for. It's why shy, soft-spoken Dopheld Mitaka plays an entirely unconvincing Han Solo. It's why Rey had been hired without so much as an interview, on the sole qualification of being Ren's cousin.

Ren is the only exception to Snoke's complete lack of concern for appropriate casting.

When Ren is on set, he isn't just committed to the character - he _is_ Vader. Carefully measured anger seems to ripple around him, and it's barely a stretch of imagination to believe that this creature holds true mastery over the dark side of the Force. The crumbling sets and cheap costumes fade away around him, and somehow, it's just enough to make guests suspend disbelief that Ren is anything but the real Vader.

Snoke, who doesn't care about anyone or anything in his park, has an inexplicable soft spot for Ren. Maybe Snoke realizes his own genius in allowing Ren to play Vader. But no matter what it stems from, Snoke turns a blind eye to Ren's outbursts, and seems unconcerned at Ren's inability to control his own temper.

Ren has never attacked a guest, though. The minutes tick by, and Hux casts a look at the door of the dressing room, wondering if Ren has gone too far this time.

Hux goes through the motions of changing out of his costume. He hangs the Imperial uniform and smooths out the wrinkles. He places the boots and belt in their designated cubby. Next, he ducks his head under the sink to wash away his makeup. He wants to relax into the warm water running over his head, but the event from earlier still turns over in his mind.

The unsettled feeling has now faded into annoyance at Ren. The man is a child. Twenty-two, and still the slightest provocation sends him into a tantrum. It had been unusual for it to happen in the middle of a scene; Ren _never_ broke character. Hux once witnessed a sugar-dizzy child spray the set with vomit without Ren so much as flinching. So what set him off this time? Is he getting even worse at controlling his temper?

Hux is rinsing his hair in the sink when Ren's heavy tread approaches the dressing room. The door bangs open and Ren enters, still in full costume. Hux takes a moment to wonder if he removed the helmet while meeting with Snoke.

"Well?" Hux asks.

Ren grunts, a sound that's impossible to discern beneath the voice modulator. He unfastens the latches of his helmet and tugs it off his head. Underneath, his hair is drenched with sweat and matted down, and there's a red dent in his forehead where the helmet pressed into his skin.

" _Ren,_ " Hux prompts.

"Snoke didn't fire me," Ren says.

Hux is surprised to find himself letting out a breath.

"You got lucky," he settles on saying.

Ren lets out an agonized groan as he starts unbuckling himself out of his costume. "I had to apologize to the kid's mom, though. It was so fucking stupid. The kid was scared shitless - he _loved_ it, but the mom wanted an apology."

"You should be thankful that she isn't going to press charges."

"For what?"

Hux is speechless for a moment. "For- for _assaulting her child,_ you idiot!"

"Whatever." Ren scoffs. "When I was a kid, I would have given _anything_ to have Darth Vader choke me. I should have said something like, 'I find your lack of faith disturbing' while I was doing it." Ren shoves the pieces of his costume into the cubby, not bothering to fold the cape. "I'll have to remember to say it next time."

"There won't be a next time, Ren. You won't ever do something like that again. Do you understand?"

Hux can practically hear Ren roll his eyes. "See, this is what I mean about having a stick up your ass."

Ren's vulgarity has lost most of its effect after a year of working together, yet Ren still manages to push buttons that Hux isn't aware he has.

"Careful, Ren, that your-"

Hux makes the mistake of glaring up at Ren and his retort dies in his throat. Ren's bare torso is slick with sweat after wearing leather all day, almost glowing in the florescent lighting of the dressing room. Miles of skin are on display, moles and freckles shifting as muscles flex underneath. Hux's eyes catch on glistening pectorals before Ren tugs a ' _Han Shot First_ ' shirt down over himself.

Ren smirks like the little shit he is.

"Are you coming over tonight?" he asks.

* * *

They're _not_ friends. Hux would never call it that. With Ren's childish tantrums and hair-trigger temper, Hux hardly even likes Ren. All that exists between them is a convenient arrangement and a common interest - that's it.

Hux tells himself this, and yet a familiar excitement rises in his chest as they climb the stairs to Ren's apartment.

It's little more than a hole in the wall in a building that was already run down before either of them was born. Ren's lived here since he was seventeen, and by Hux's estimations, he hasn't tidied up since then. Hux nearly gags on the acrid scent wafting off a gym bag near the door. Leftovers from the pizza they'd ordered last night are still moldering on the kitchen counter, surrounded by unwashed dishes and old takeout boxes. Ren doesn't own a broom. For his own sake, Hux has learned not to look at the floors.

Maybe Hux is the only person who would notice the colonies of dust bunnies slowly taking over Ren's apartment, though. Everything else is sufficiently distracting. Every surface - the shelves, the walls, the floors, even the ceiling - is covered in Star Wars merchandise.

Posters and newspaper clippings line the walls, layered so heavily that there's no indication of the original paint colour beneath them. Model starships and fighters hang from the ceiling. Every available surface is covered with toys and action figures, the oldest of which lay amongst Ren's art supplies with half-finished paint touchups. Boba Fetts pattern the curtains, and three different Darth Vader cardboard cutouts guard the corners of the room. Even the toaster imprints tiny Millennium Falcons onto the toast (if Ren would ever do something as grown up as buying bread).

Hux takes a moment to marvel at the oddity of this place. Ren's life is what an eight year old might imagine as a picture of adulthood, with a vague idea that it involves having a job and a place to live, but in a world where his favorite movies are still the most important thing in his life. Ren has never grown out of the childish enthusiasm that fades for most people with the first taste of the real world. His entire apartment is an expression of the forceful passion he lives his life with. When Hux is here, he feels as if he's stepped directly into Ren's brain.

Ren notices Hux staring at him and makes a point of stretching, letting out a low, lewd moan as he does. His flexing muscles pull his shirt tight across his chest, lifting it, and Hux's eyes are drawn like a moth to a flame to the inches of exposed skin above his waistband.

"I need a shower," Ren says with an unnecessary sniff of his own armpit. "Do you want to fuck me first?"

"How charming of you to offer," Hux sneers, but he follows Ren into the bathroom anyway.

There's no denying that Ren needs a shower, so shower sex seems like a good compromise between getting clean and fucking. Hux thinks this right up until the moment of penetration.

"Can you just-" Hux pauses his shallow attempts at thrusting as he wipes water from his eyes. Their height difference is only a couple inches, but Ren is all legs, and he nearly has to squat to let Hux's cock anywhere near his ass. Hux is forced halfway out of the matchbox-sized shower stall and the spray of water off Ren's back splatters directly into his face. "Can you just- bend-"

"I _am_ bending."

" _Fuck._ " Hux wipes water from his eyes again and stares down at where Ren is stretched around his cock. It's a glorious sight, for the half-second Hux can look at it before his vision blurs over with water again. "Enough of this. We're going to your bedroom to finish."

Ren grunts and straightens. Hux has to bite back a groan as his cock slips free of Ren; at least it won't be for long. He turns to get a towel, but Ren grabs his slick shoulder and pulls him back under the spray.

"Wash your dick off and I'll blow you," he says.

"What? Ren, let's just-"

Ren's eyes blaze as he looms over Hux. "Do you want me to suck your dick or not?" he growls. Hux stares back at him, at his dark eyes, at the water droplets clinging to his nose and lips. Hux can feel himself being swept up into Ren's tempest, just like he always is.

Groaning in half annoyance, half arousal, Hux accepts the bottle of Dagobah Berry scented shower gel (' _For Kids!_ ') being pushed into his hand. He peels off the condom and drops it into the growing puddle of water outside the stall, then takes his own hard cock in hand and makes quick work of cleaning it.

The suds are still rinsing away as Ren drops to his knees. He steadies himself against Hux's hip with one hand and those damned obscene lips part, ready to take Hux in. It takes every ounce of willpower Hux has to push Ren away.

"Just wait, I need to get another condom."

"No you don't."

" _Ren._ "

"You're not fucking anyone else, are you?"

"Well- _no,_ but Ren-" Ren's lips slide over the head of Hux's cock. " _Ren,_ ohh..."

Hux grabs two handfuls of Ren's soaking hair and tugs, mostly just to keep himself steady. Ren is- _unbelievable_. The tiny shower highlights just how _big_ he is, the bulk of his shoulders filling up the space. With the shower spray to his back, Hux can now stare down at Ren all he likes. He watches one broad hand grip Hux's hip while the other holds Ren's own cock, stroking slowly as he takes Hux as deep into his throat as he can manage.

Ren must be able to taste how close Hux is, because he pulls back, leaving his lips still against Hux's cock. "Come on my face," he says. Hux can feel every word.

"As if I'd- as if I'd come- anywhere else-" he pants.

Hux finally spills and Ren's tongue lolls out, catching come across his lips and cheek. Ren _moans,_ like Hux's come is the best thing he's ever experienced. Hux could come again at just that. He keeps his hands in Ren's hair, tugging encouragingly, keeping him on his knees as Ren continues jerking himself. 

" _Gonna come,_ " Ren gasps, and does, pressing his cheek into Hux's hip as he shutters.

Hux still hasn't caught his breath by the time they turn off the water. His body is shivery and sensitive, in a good way. The post-orgasm lightness lasts only until he's getting dressed and picks up his shirt from the floor.

"You dripped all over it," he complains, holding up the wet oxford shirt.

"It's hardly wet."

"It's soaking!"

"I'll get you one of mine." Ren still sounds completely unapologetic as he leaves the bathroom, naked.

Grumbling, Hux hangs his shirt on the back of the door to dry. Trust Ren to shake himself off like a dog and splatter everything around him. Water is pooled on the floor around the shower, with the discarded condom in the center of it. Hux eyes it warily. He usually restrains himself from any attempts at tidying in Ren's apartment, but he cannot ignore this, and he picks it up to drop in the garbage.

Ren returns a second later. Hux has just enough time to read the words ' _Sith Happens_ ' on his shirt before Ren tosses something at Hux's face: a clean, dry t-shirt.

" _Asshole,_ " Hux mutters.

Ren is banging things around in the kitchen when Hux emerges from the bathroom. With some effort, Ren manages to produce a bowl of cereal and a can of beer for each of them. The cereal is stale, but the beer is cold. Hux takes a sip as he settles back on the couch in the living room to eat.

In his own apartment, Hux would take this time to decompress, to let his mind quiet and rest before turning it to something productive for the evening. When he's at Ren's place, he never seems to need that time. They eat in silence for only a few moments before Hux reaches for his bag and draws out his laptop.

"I wrote something new this morning," he says as he opens the laptop. Beside him, Ren is lounging with his eyes closed, but he makes a sound of interest and shifts closer to Hux on the couch.

Hux opens _TheForceAwakens.doc,_ scrolls to page seventy, and hands the laptop to Ren.

 

> _The command bridge on the Finalizer was modelled after the Empire's star destroyers of old, with sunken workstations positioned around a platform. Officers monitored readouts on data panels and pretended that they did not hear the argument transpiring between their commanders._
> 
> _"The Supreme Leader was explicit," General Hux said, "capture the droid if we can, but destroy it if we must."_
> 
> _Kylo Ren strode at his side, dark robes rippling around him, face hidden behind his imposing helmet. "How capable are your soldiers, General?" he asked. It was a clear challenge._
> 
> _"I won't have you question my methods."_
> 
> _"They're obviously skilled at committing high treason. Perhaps the Supreme Leader should consider using a clone army."_
> 
> _Fuming, General Hux took several quick steps to cut Ren off and glare into his helmet._
> 
> _"My men are exceptionally trained, programmed from birth," he snapped. The current stormtrooper regime was a marvel in military training. FN-2187's defection had been unexpected, but the stormtroopers produced through simulation-based training were unsurpassed by any of their predecessors._
> 
> _"Then they should have no trouble retrieving the droid," Kylo Ren said, "unharmed."_
> 
> _General Hux's eyes narrowed. He knew few details of Kylo Ren's mysterious past, but this desire to preserve the link to his former mentor did not ring true to the detachment from emotion Kylo Ren claimed._
> 
> _"Your personal interests should not interfere with orders from Leader [NAME]."_

Ren reads through the scene, nodding as he does. "Give it here," he says. He takes the laptop and pounds at the keys for a moment. When he hands it back, he's erased the last line of dialogue and replaced it with his own.

 

> _"careful, ren, that your personal interests not interfere with orders from leader snoke."_

The dialogue is much better, but Hux nearly spits out his beer.

" _Snoke?_ " he asks, incredulous.

Kylo nods. "I was imagining it when he was chewing me out today. He has to be the Supreme Leader."

Hux thinks about it and finds that he agrees. The same way Phasma suits their third in command in the First Order, and Finn suits the turncoat stormtrooper, the stooped old park manager suits the all-knowing creature pulling the strings behind the First Order. Hux corrects the capitalization of Ren's addition and inserts Snoke's name into the rest of their document.

In full, _TheForceAwakens.doc_ is almost two hundred pages, a combined effort between the two of them. It's far from finished, and they don't know how it will end. Hux isn't sure how it started, either. Somehow he and Ren had gone from mutual loathing, to Hux pointedly calling Ren _Jacen_ , to this: a self-insert fanfiction so indulgent that they haven't even created new characters for the world. Instead, they've written their friends and coworkers into the story beside them.

It's a ridiculous idea. It's an insult to the Expanded Universe. It's... fun. Hux is loath to admit it, but something about writing the powerful, calculating _General Hux_ alongside Ren's Mary Sue makes him come back to Ren's chaotic apartment again and again.

"I've got some new things to show you, too." Ren reaches under the couch to fish out a battered sketchbook. He flips it open and hands it to Hux.

Hux's own likeness is looking back at him from the page. He's dressed in a First Order officer uniform, with the command cap, rank cylinders, and commemorative armband drawn exactly as they agreed on. Hux stares at his own face. All his features are there, but stronger somehow. Hux isn't sure he's ever looked that impressive before.

All he can think of to say is, "My shoulders are _not_ that narrow."

"They are."

"They are not."

" _Fine._ " Ren makes an illegible note on the page that looks like ' _shoulder pads_ '. "I'll need to design something else for Starkiller Base. A warmer jacket maybe. Are you sure you still want a winter planet for Starkiller Base? Why not a planet filled with tropical beaches?"

"Absolutely not. I'd be sunburnt in seconds, and I don't like sand."

It's too late when Hux realizes what he just said. Ren's face is glowing with glee.

"I know," he agrees, too eager, "It's coarse and rough and irritating-"

" _Stop._ "

"-and it gets everywhere."

Hux glares at him. Ren is wearing that damned smirk he wears every time he succeeds in annoying Hux.

"Are you finished?" Hux asks him.

"I could go on."

"Don't. Just show me what else you drew."

Ren turns the page of his sketchbook, hesitates a moment, and then hands it over to Hux.

' _Kylo Ren helmet design_ ' is scrawled at the top of the page. Several angles of a helmet are drawn below. A narrow visor covers the eye area, with chrome bands bracketing it. It creates an expressionless but unsettling face. In a profile drawing, the smooth mouthpiece lifts away from the helmet on hinges. The whole thing is dented and scratched, giving the impression that it's been on the battlefield often.

Hux finds himself as speechless as he was the first time he saw Ren hunched over a sketchbook. Ren had been drawing Darth Vader's helmet then, but not the shiny, intact version he wore at the park. It was melted and twisted, one eye socket turning in on itself, the mouthpiece gaping in a grotesque suggestion of teeth. _That_ was where this started, Hux supposes. He'd seen that helmet, asked Ren what it was, and everything else had spiraled from there.

"What do you think? Is the helmet too Vader?" Ren asks.

Kylo Ren's helmet is different enough that it couldn't be mistaken for Vader's, while still paying homage to its origin and inspiration. With Ren's usual overconfidence, Hux hates to give him any kind of praise, but he can find no fault in this.

"It's perfect," he says.

Ren beams, and Hux has to hide his own expression by reaching for a bite of the soggy cereal.

Ren takes back his sketchbook and turns to a clean page, leaning back into the couch with the sketchbook against his knees. Hux pulls his laptop to himself to continue working in _TheForceAwakens.doc_.

They pass more evenings like this than Hux would like to admit. Eating takeout or whatever Ren passes off as cooking, bouncing ideas off each other, creating their own world. If anyone were to ask, Hux would never admit that he's writing a self-insert Star Wars fanfiction with a tantrum-prone manchild who loves Darth Vader a little too much. It's just the two of them here, though, and Hux settles in for the evening ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

A pattern of faded TIE fighters blurs in Hux's vision when he opens his eyes. The material is very soft, and very warm. Still dozing, Hux presses closer, wrapping himself around the inviting lump beneath the blanket. The familiarity of its scent draws him in further, and he absently strokes over the material. His hand dips into valleys and over hills, tracing the shape beneath the fabric, until the touch of skin startles him fully awake. He draws back and sits up.

Morning sunlight filters through the Yoda beach towel pinned over the window, casting Ren's bedroom into a strange green glow. Hux is atop the duvet, still in his clothing from the night before. Ren is asleep beside him with his broad, bare back facing Hux. The duvet is pulled up to his chest, and his body bows forward, shoulders slumped around what appears to be a stuffed tauntaun. It's beady eyes peer at Hux like its aware he's not meant to be here.

Hux remembers coming in here last night; he remembers working on their fanfic. At some point, he must have fallen asleep. Why hadn't Ren woken him to leave? _Asshole,_ Hux thinks. He's been in Ren's bed many times before but has never had the displeasure of spending the night and finding out just how lumpy the mattress is.

He retrieves his laptop from the floor beside the bed. He's under no delusions that Ren courteously placed it here last night; most likely, the laptop slid off the bed after Hux fell asleep. At least it landed safely atop a pile of the novelty t-shirts Ren is so fond of. It blinks to life, and _TheForceAwakens.doc_ is still open:

> _"Careful, Ren, that your personal interest not interfere with orders from Leader Snoke," General Hux warned._
> 
> _General Hux’s own understanding of the Force was limited, but he felt a ripple of dark energy around him like a static charge. Kylo Ren took a step nearer to loom over General Hux._
> 
> _"I want that map," Kylo Ren said, his modulated voice low and threatening. "For your sake, I suggest you get it."_
> 
> _The contemptuous gaze between them held for a moment before Kylo Ren turned in a swirl of black robes and stormed away._
> 
> _General Hux turned back to the bridge, and a dozen heads swiveled back towards their own workstations. The officers had been eavesdropping on his argument with Kylo Ren, he knew, and it irked him that their strained co-commandership should be such a source of interest for the crew._
> 
> _Before Kylo Ren had come to the Finalizer, General Hux's reputation had been that of a polished wall of stone. Any challenge, any frustration that came his way was efficiently dealt with, never snagging his surface, never leaving any trace that it had touched him at all. Now, General Hux wondered if he'd ever really known the meaning of challenge and frustration before he met Kylo Ren._

A battery power warning flashes at Hux from the bottom of the screen before he can read further. It draws Hux's attention to the time, and he sighs.

"Ren. _Ren._ Wake up, asshole. We need to be at work in half an hour."

Ren remains asleep. Hux nudges him with his foot, and when that doesn't work, he grabs Ren's shoulder and shakes it. " _Ren._ Wake up! I'm not going to be late because of you."

It takes a full minute of shaking before Ren stirs. A long, low rumble of protest fills the room. Then, like a mountain unearthing, Ren's great body turns over. Thickly muscled arms extend above him in a stretch, and one catches Hux around the shoulders.

" _What the f-_ "

Ren draws Hux tight against his chest, pinning him there, while his other massive hand presses over Hux's mouth

" _Quiet,_ " Ren grumbles, "your voice is annoying."

The string of expletives Hux shouts is barely muffled behind Ren's palm. Struggling furiously, Hux manages to break free and scramble back on the bed. He glares at Ren, who looks as if he's gone back to sleep. His eyes are closed, his face is peaceful. Hux wants nothing more than to give him a good, hard smack. He settles for grabbing the stuffed tauntaun and hurling it at Ren.

Ren's eyes remain closed, but he lifts a hand to rub the spot on his chest where the tauntaun bounced off him.

"Ow," he complains.

"Why didn't you wake me up last night?" Hux demands, annoyed. "...  _Ren."_

"Shh."

" _Ren!_ Wake up. We need to leave in ten minutes."

Hux shakes Ren again as a another sound of protest rumbles out him. Ren lifts a hand to weakly shove Hux away. "Go, my son... leave me..."

_Son?_ Hux considers the bizarre statement for a moment, before he realizes that Ren is quoting Vader’s dying moments. He rolls his eyes as he rises to leave the room.

“Careful, Ren. One day, I’ll find a way to annoy you as much as you annoy me,” he threatens.

“You already have,” Ren moans behind him.

Hux's makes his way through his morning routine as best he can, given that he doesn't have his own clothing, toiletries, or kitchen. A hasty scrub in the shower with the Dagobah Berry-scented shower gel leaves him tingling in all the wrong ways, and his skin crawls as he pulls on the clothes he wore yesterday, and slept in. Shaving is out of the question. When it comes to brushing his teeth, he eyes Ren's frayed toothbrush with disgust for a moment before settling on only mouthwash instead.

He checks his watch. On a normal day, he would be arriving outside Ren's apartment at any moment now. He returns to the bedroom and finds Ren still in bed, eyes closed, hair spilling over the pillow like a fluffy black storm cloud. The only movement he's made is to fling out one arm over the space where Hux slept.

"Five minutes," Hux warns him. 

In Ren's kitchen, Hux searches the cupboards for something resembling a breakfast food. A few sugary snacks and packaged foods, Star Wars-shaped spaghettios, and too many bottles of Sriracha sauce are all Hux finds. He takes out the box of cereal from the night before and considers it. Then he notices that Ren left the milk carton on the counter overnight, and gives up.

At some point, Ren stumbles from the bedroom into the bathroom. Hux checks the time. Two more minutes. He pounds on the bathroom door for a minute and a half until Ren emerges, and Hux hurries him from the apartment to Hux's car.

Freeway traffic only amplifies Hux's bad mood, enough so that he tells Ren, "I'm going to kill you," quite seriously. He can already feel his whole day thrown off balance by the disruption of his morning routine. If Ren had woken Hux instead of letting him sleep through the night, Hux's stomach wouldn't be growling at him to eat something, his dirty clothing wouldn't be clinging to him uncomfortably, and he wouldn't be fighting the urge to shove his hand down his pants and scratch himself - Ren's damned shower gel irritated his skin. "This had better be a rash from your stupid soap, because if you've given me an STI because you decided we _didn't need a condom_ yesterday, I swear I'm going to-"

He's interrupted by a sound like a moose call as Ren's mouth gapes open in a loud, obnoxious yawn. 

"You should have woken me earlier," Ren complains as he attempts to straighten his hair in the reflection of the rear view mirror.

" _I_ should have woken you?" Hux repeats, incredulous. He wants to smack Ren more than ever. " _You_ should have set an alarm!"

"My alarm is your nagging texts every morning."

Hux bristles at the comment. He's in the habit of texting Ren before leaving his own apartment each morning, but those texts are only necessary because without them, Hux will infallibly be left waiting outside Ren's apartment for half an hour before Ren wakes up on his own.

"What if I forgot to text you?" Hux demands.

Ren's mouth twitches in a smile. "Wouldn't happen, mister anal preventive."

"It's anal _retentive._ "

Ren doesn't respond. He's settled against the car door like he's gone back to sleep, head resting on his arm. Somehow, he looks quite comfortable there. His face is soft and his eyes are closed, eyelashes casting long shadows over his cheeks in the morning sunlight.

Hux still wants to smack him.

They reach the park without further incident and Hux scans his employee card to enter the parking lot. As the engine turns off, Ren startles out of a light doze, though he settles against the car door again a second later.

"Just five more minutes," he begs.

Hux knows Ren is just trying to annoy him, but they do have a few minutes to spare before they need to get into costume.

"If you're not in the dressing room in five minutes, I'm telling Snoke that you quit," Hux warns as he gets out of the car. He scowls at Ren's sleeping face for good measure.

* * *

One of the most vivid memories from Hux's childhood is his ninth birthday. He remembers the vibrating excitement of arriving at the theme park, and how far he'd had to crane his neck back to look up to the very top of the _Deathstar Experience._ The actors inside weren't the real characters, much to his disappointment, but that didn't make it any less exciting to watch them act out his favorite scenes. What stands out most clearly in Hux's memory, however, is not the awe he'd felt as Luke Skywalker rescued Princess Leia from her cell, nor the thrill of the X-Wing simulator ride, nor the blue light-up lightsaber he'd been allowed to spend his allowance on. No, what he remembers most clearly about that day is the way the park had smelled. Mechanical oil, sweat, and fried food blended together, each scent pungent and distinct, yet inseparable from the others.

Several parts of the park have been upgraded or expanded since then, and new attractions have been added, but the smell is entirely unchanged from what it was fifteen years ago. Today, a particularly strong whiff of french fries makes Hux's stomach churn in equal parts disgust and hunger. Even missing breakfast isn't reason enough to make him consider any of the revolting park food, but missing coffee is unacceptable, so he stops at the first food stand he sees.

He instantly regrets this decision when Poe Dameron's grinning face appears on the other side of the counter.

"Hey, buddy!" Poe says. "What can I get for you?"

Each one of Poe's pearly white teeth are on display as he smiles at Hux like he's pleased to see him. Poe is friends with Ren, and is under the mistaken impression that this makes he and Hux friends as well.

"Coffee," Hux says. The food stand sells churros, but every stand in the park sells the same caffeinated sludge that passes for coffee.

"You got it. Hey, that's a cool shirt!"

Hux glances down. He's wearing the t-shirt he borrowed from Ren yesterday, and though it had appeared to be plain black at first, the morning light shows that it has grey Alliance Starbirds printed all over it. Of course Poe would notice. He's almost as obsessive as Ren is, and over-friendly as well. Hux takes a step back to discourage further attempts at chit-chat as his coffee is prepared.

"Here you go, buddy," Poe says, handing Hux a paper cup of coffee in one hand, and a monstrous churro covered in chocolate and powdered sugar in the other. Hux stares at it in horror. Poe winks at him. "Employee special. Kylo likes strawberry syrup on his as well. You want some of that?"

Hux's stomach lurches at the thought of adding more sugar to such a thing. He declines the syrup but accepts the churro, despite the moral objections his brain is trying to make.

It's good. Over-sweet, but an enticing combination of crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Hux is hungry enough to tolerate several bites of it before he arrives at the _Deathstar Experience_ set _._

He finds Phasma in the staff room inside, already dressed in the Imperial uniform she wears as a tour guide. Her shiny boots are propped up against the edge of the lunch table as she lounges on a bench. 

"Hey nerd," she says, grinning. It's been a familiar nickname between them since the start of their friendship. Hux still has several minutes before he needs to get into costume, so he sits beside her and hands over half of the churro to her.

They finish the sticky treat in silence as a few of their coworkers trickle in and out of the room. Phasma licks her fingers clean, then settles back against the wall She crosses her arms, then uncrosses them. Hux has known her for long enough to recognize when she's uncomfortable.

" _Hey,_ " she says suddenly, looking away, "I'm sorry about that kid who was shouting at you yesterday. I should have shut him up sooner."

Hux raises an eyebrow. "This isn't high school, Phasma. I don't need you to protect me."

"Yeah, sure. I'll try to remember that next time you need someone pull you out of a locker."

It's as sentimental as she gets, and Hux's lips twitch upwards. He maintains that he can look after himself, but he's willing to admit that having an intimidating friend like Phasma at his side was the only reason why a skinny, red-headed kid with a ridiculous first name and a Star Wars patch on his backpack was able to make it through high school relatively unscathed. Sitting at this table, he can almost imagine them as they were ten years ago in the cafeteria, Phasma in a sports uniform and Hux with a spiral notebook of terrible fanfiction in front of him.

" _Anyway,_ " Phasma says, as eager to leave the sentimental topic as Hux is, "that's a nice shirt, nerd."

There's a hint of teasing in her voice, and it occurs to Hux that she's never seen him dressed down in a t-shirt. Hux can't resist goading her as well.

" _Phasma,_ " he says in awe, "I never thought I'd live to see the day. You actually recognize something from Star Wars."

"Is it Star Wars? I wouldn't know. I mostly noticed that it's Kylo's shirt."

She's wearing a salacious grin and Hux realizes what she's implying. The first sound from his mouth is a strained laugh.

"We're not-" he starts. Hux has no idea what to say to correct her, because he has no idea what made her jump to this conclusion. "It's not like that."

"And here I thought you two hated each other."

"We do!"

Unconvinced, Phasma's grin broadens. "Yeah, but _this,_ " Phasma plucks at the sleeve of the t-shirt, "is telling me that you didn't make it home last night. Gotta admit, I'm surprised. He's not your usual type isn't he a little... crazy?"

"Yes, yes he is! You know he is."

"Which means he must be what, eight inches? Ten inches?"

" _Phasma!_ Good god."

"Just saying, he's got to have something really special if you're getting this serious about him."

Hux scowls at her as he rises from the bench. "There's nothing _serious_ about it."

Phasma shrugs in acquiesce. "Sure," she says, though her eyes flick down to the shirt. Hux escapes to the dressing room.

The damned shirt! He glares at the Starbird pattern as he folds it into his locker. If Hux hadn't been in such a hurry this morning, he might have thought to change back into his own shirt before leaving Ren's apartment. Then Phasma wouldn’t have said anything.

All Phasma has seen between them is a few of their arguments at work. From that, she must know that there’s no way Hux would feel anything other than annoyance for Ren as a person. She was just goading him, Hux is sure, but his day is already tilted off balance, and the insinuation has rattled him more than it should have.

Hux is already in costume when Ren shuffles into the dressing room, mouth gaping in a wide yawn. He blinks sleepily as he tries to open his locker. Hux watches slow, clumsy fingers with chipped black nail polish turn the combination several times before Ren finally gets it right and the lock snaps open.

Hux can't stand to look at him suddenly. He turns away and crosses to the line of makeup mirrors against the far wall.

There, he begins laying out the products needed to create the appearance of Tarkin's age on his face, paints and powders that will be applied to look like wrinkles. He runs a brush through the thick, pasty base and begins painting it over his skin.

In the mirror, Ren's confused face appears over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Applying makeup," Hux says dryly.

He knows that's not the question Ren is asking. No amount of makeup can convincingly age Hux forty years, but Ren is the artist between them, and they've found that it looks far more realistic when Ren applies the makeup for him. Hux doesn't want Ren near him, though.

“You’re terrible at it,” Ren says.

"And you can barely open a lock right now," Hux replies. "I don't want you poking at my face with sharp objects."

Ren draws nearer, his body filling the mirror behind Hux. "It's going to look like shit if you do it," he says.

He looks distinctly like a child who is angry about having his toy taken away, and Hux isn't willing to indulge one of his tantrums. He ignores Ren and continues.

As he dips the brush back into the cosmetic, Ren makes a grab for it. His big hand closes around Hux's as Hux attempts to pull it away. They struggle for a moment until Hux wrenches his arm free, elbow knocking the pot of base over the edge of the counter so it splatters over Ren's shoes.

"What the fuck, Hux?" Ren spits. He kicks the pot away and takes a step back to avoid the spreading mess over his shoes. " _Fine._ Just don't blame me when some kid starts screaming about how awful your makeup is again."

So that was what yesterday's tantrum was about! Hux grits his teeth as he attempts to continue his makeup with the remaining products. The child yesterday had spouted complaints of Hux's makeup, his white hairspray - both things that Ren took artistic credit for. Ren had just been upset at his work being criticized.

At least there's no chance of that happening today. Any mistakes are Hux's own, and the mistakes are plentiful. He stares at his reflection and wonders how he's managed to make his entire face look lopsided.

* * *

"Hux. Hux. Hey, Hux. Your cheekbones are crooked."

The surface of the conference table has become absolutely fascinating, and Hux stares at it intently.

"Your cheekbones are crooked. Hux. _Hux!_ "

"Hux, are you okay?" Finn asks.

Hux's attention snaps up, and Finn nearly recoils at his expression. There are few words Hux hates more than _are you okay._

"It's just, Kylo is trying to talk to you..." Finn offers.

Hux attempts to remind himself that Finn is just trying to be helpful. "What he's doing is called harassment."

Ren snorts, a bizarre sound through his Darth Vader mask. "Yeah, if you want to get technical about it, mister anal preventive."

"It's anal _retent-_ "

"Thirty seconds!" Finn says hurriedly as the light flashes to indicating incoming guests.

Hux takes his seat at the conference table, and Ren circles around to face him. Finn is already in place beside the door, waiting for the guests to come through. As a stormtrooper, he's on set with Hux and Ren more than anyone else in the cast. Hux has never given this much thought before, but it's troubling now. Had it really seemed so strange when Hux did not respond to Ren's taunting that Finn felt the need to ask if he was okay?

Finn has borne witness to almost every on-set argument between Hux and Ren since the very first one. Did he, like Phasma, think it was a demented form of flirting between them? Did he jump to the same conclusion about their relationship?

"He is here..." Vader says.

The scene has already started. Hux tries to put himself in the lines, but his voice is flat as Tarkin and Vader discuss Obi-Wan. His legs feel wooden as he crosses to the commlink and orders all sectors on alert in response to Princess Leia's escape

"Obi-Wan _is_ here," Vader insists, "and the Force is with him."

Tarkin meets Vader's eye. Hux looks away. "If you're right, he must not be allowed to escape," he says to the wall.

"Escape is not his plan. I must face him alone." Vader turns and sweeps from the room, his cape billowing behind him.

The guests murmur excitedly amongst themselves as they move on to the next room. Finn follows Ren through the door, but Hux remains on set, and he _thinks._

* * *

How hasn’t Hux noticed it before? Everyone else has, apparently. Even the bridge crew in their fanfic had taken note of the frequent arguments between their commanders (and Hux had written that paragraph himself). There’s nothing between then, in fiction or reality, but Hux is now uncomfortably aware of what it looks like to the people around them.

The dressing room is thankfully empty when Hux arrives at the end of the day, or so he thinks. It takes a moment to notice Mitaka quietly folding away his Han Solo vest. Mitaka looks terrified for a moment and his eyes flick up over Hux's shoulder, but when Ren doesn't enter the room behind Hux, Mitaka's face softens into a smile.

"Hi, Hux. How was your day?" he asks.

Hux presses his lips together and tries to think of a neutral response. His skin itches from the soap he used his morning, his eye has been twitching since mid-day, and he has a headache that's pounding louder, and louder-

The pounding is, in fact, Ren's heavy boots stomping down the hallway. The door bangs open and Ren enters. Mitaka is frozen in terror for a moment and his eyes dart between Hux and Ren, before he drops his vest and flees from the room.

"What’s his problem?" Ren grunts.

Hux's eye starts twitching again.

As Hux changes out of his costume, he wishes that he had anything other than the Alliance Starbird shirt he borrowed from Ren to put on - or at least something to cover it up as he leaves the park. It fits him reasonably well, considering the difference in their statures, but it feels so conspicuous. Hux smooths it down as if he can straighten it into something that looks like his own clothing. 

Ren has already stuffed the Vader costume in its cubby, and he's fastening his sweaty hair into a ponytail when he turns to Hux.

"I'm starving," he says, "I'd kill someone for some ginger beef right now. We're stopping for Chinese food on the way to my place."

"Not tonight," Hux says stiffly.

"What do you want, then? Don't tell me it's sushi _again._ " Seeing Hux's serious expression, Ren heaves out a long-suffering sigh. "Okay, _fine,_ we'll get sushi. I'm so hungry I could eat anything right now."

"I'm going home, Ren."

"Home?" Ren turns the word over like it's unfamiliar. Hux knows how strange it sounds. They go over to Ren's apartment every day. Ren's face suddenly brightens. "Wait, I'm finally allowed to see your apartment?"

Hux's eye twitches. Ren, being Ren, chooses to misunderstand everything Hux says, just to annoy him.

"I'm going to my apartment. You're going to your own," Hux explains slowly, so that Ren can't misunderstand. Knowing how poorly Ren reacted this morning when Hux said he could not do Hux's makeup, Hux steels himself for another altercation.

Ren stares at him for a long moment, mouth gone soft.

"Okay..." he says.

"I just have some work to get done," Hux says hurriedly. He shouldn't need to explain it. It shouldn't be _unusual_ that they don't spend an evening together. "You can take the bus home. Right?"

"Okay," Ren says again. "Right. Uh. Can I borrow some money for bus fare?"

Hux feels like a complete fool as he takes out his wallet and hands a few coins to Ren. He nearly breaks down and offers Ren a ride home, but then they'd be seen leaving together again, and Hux may as well go over to Ren's place then. Shoulders slumped, Ren shuffles from the dressing room, and Hux reminds himself that this is for the best.

Leaving the _Deathstar Experience_ without Ren at his side feels so strange that Hux cycles back to the dressing room to make sure he hasn’t actually forgotten anything. Driving home, he has to remind himself to pass the turnoff to Ren's place. He doesn't feel quite like going home yet, though. There's a sandwich shop at the edge of his neighborhood, and Hux stops to place an order. He sits down at a free table near the back and plugs in his laptop.

_TheForceAwakens.doc_ is still open on the screen. Hux closes the window, and opens _Tarkin.doc_ instead.

The idea for this story first came to Hux when he was doing character research for his job at the _Deathstar Experience._ An effort to fully understand Tarkin's character lead to imaginings of the background that might have shaped him. Hux recognized an opportunity when he saw one. _Tarkin.doc_ has grown from a collection of character notes to a series of chapters that are building up to a novel-length fanfiction.

The comments in Hux's inbox remind him that he hasn't posted an update in two weeks, and a few readers wonder why his clockwork updates have slipped lately. One three word comment says only " _are you okay?_ " Hux deletes it. Ren has been occupying far too much of his time, and this is yet more proof that things need to change between them.

Hux takes a sip of coffee, returns to _Tarkin.doc,_ and starts writing:

> _Darth Vader approached them. Tarkin studied the man, if such a creature could still be called a man. The sound of slow, mechanized breathing grew louder, and the buttons and indicators on his breastplate reinforced the idea that this was an inorganic being. Even the Emperor's creased and bulging skin appeared more human than Darth Vader. [Note: Write more about what Tarkin thinks of Vader]_
> 
> _Vader halted as he reached the Emperor's side. Tarkin bowed to him in greeting. [Note: What would he say? Should Sidious introduce them?] He turned their attention to the viewport where the skeleton of the mobile battle station was taking shape._

Tarkin is meeting Vader for the first time. It's a critical moment and an interaction that will define the rest of the story, yet an hour passes and all Hux manages to write are two uninspired paragraphs.

He clicks over to _TheForceAwakens.doc_ and scrolls through some recently added scenes, editing out the typos in Ren's parts. Ren has no grasp of apostrophes, and he doesn’t seem to know where the shift key is. And yet... 

> _"forgive me. i feel it again. the pull to the light. supreme leader senses it. show me again the power of the darkness, and i will let nothing stand in our way. show me... grandfather... and i will finish what you started."_

Hux reads it a second time, finding that even the lack of capitalization doesn't dull the thrill of it. If their fanfic was made into a movie, _this_ would be the trailer for it. How does Ren do it? Despite unspeakable grammatical atrocities, his ideas are so vivid, so striking, like Ren can put life into anything he touches. His art embodies this even more so. Even Hux's limited understanding allows him to see both passion and discipline in Ren’s artwork, and as far as he's aware, it's garnered Ren a significant online following. Ren has been featured on numerous websites, and the money he earns through commissions is slowly building up to something called 'tattoo fund'.

The work Hux has posted online is popular as well. His fanfics receive frequent compliments for their attention to detail and his interpretation of various facets of the Expanded Universe. Hux is aware, however, that no matter how thorough his plots are, or how meticulous his attention to detail is, the writing itself usually comes out a bit... _flat._

(His last boyfriend had made the same complaint about Hux's ability to express emotion in general.)

Hux’s calculated efforts to improve his writing only flattened it further, until he'd sat down in the chaos that was Ren's apartment. Just being there felt like a breath of fresh air that Hux badly needed. Words flowed from his fingertips so easily when he was on Ren’s worn-out couch, like he could absorb Ren's energy and passion just by being there.

Hux scrolls through his own scenes in _TheForceAwakens.doc._ They're not bad; perhaps not as impassioned as he would like, but the past few months have shown a marked improvement in his writing. Even the parts he's added to _Tarkin.doc_ are improved from his previous writing, uninspired as he is today.

The next scene that should logically follow in _TheForceAwakens.doc_ is a meeting between General Hux, Kylo Ren, and the Supreme Leader. Hux tabs down to a new page: 

> _The holoprojection of Supreme Leader Snoke was dark and barely illuminated in the audience chamber, but the displeasure on his face is clear. "The droid will soon be delivered to the Resistance, leading them to the last Jedi. If Skywalker returns, the new Jedi will rise."_

It's a good start to the scene, but something feels off. Hux has written several of the story's scenes on his own, in his spare time before work or on days off, but the best scenes have all been written in Ren's disaster of an apartment.

Hux glances at the clock. Even on the bus, Ren should be home by now. Hux packs up his things and hurries out to the car.

* * *

It takes only a moment for Ren to answer the door. He's surprised to see Hux, but he grins and ushers Hux inside. "Hey. Finished all your work?"

Oh, right. _Work._ "Yes," Hux answers. He holds up the paper bag of Chinese food he stopped for on the way. "Still hungry?"

"Oh, uh..."

Hux notices two things at once. One, there are empty Chinese takeout boxes on Ren's kitchen counter. Two, Ren is not alone. For the second time that day, Hux is forced to witness Poe Dameron's grinning face.

"Hey buddy!" Poe says. He's sitting cross-legged on the floor in the corner Ren uses for working on art. There's a smudge on his cheek that looks suspiciously like plum sauce.

Ren takes the paper bag from Hux's hand and sets it on the counter. "We already ate. But here, sit down." Ren pulls out the one intact stool that still has four legs, and Hux reluctantly takes a seat. Ren reaches into the bag for a box of egg rolls. It’s exactly the kind of greasy spoon takeout he loves, though Hux snatches the box before Ren can take an egg roll

"You already ate. So I would appreciate it if you kept your hands off _my_ food," Hux says.

Ren pouts and Poe laughs, which just annoys Hux further. The two minutes he'd spent with Poe this morning are more than enough for the day and Poe's presence in Ren's apartment irks Hux enough that the soggy takeout boxes have become unappetizing. Hux turns his attention to the papers littering the floor around Poe.

"Poe is commissioning a painting from me," Ren explains, "I was just showing him some sketches for it."

All the loose pages appear to be sketches of different versions of Leia. In the classic white dress with hair buns, in her ceremonial gown at the end of A New Hope, in her winter clothing from Hoth. There's also a drawing of young Leia surrounded by starblossoms on Alderaan, and one of her a few years beyond Return of the Jedi. Notably, there's no sketch of slave Leia. Hux isn't sure if it ended when Ren cast Leia as his fictional mother, or when Rey started playing Leia at the park, but Ren refuses to draw slave Leia anymore, despite the popularity of the subject.

"Kylo is such an amazing artist," Poe is going on, "I'm moving to a new place at the end of the month, and it's going to be so cool having something by him on my wall. I just can't decide which one I like best!"

One of the Leia sketches is not on a loose paper, but instead is still attached to Ren's sketchbook. It shows Leia's face lined with age, considerably older than she appears in the movies. Thirty years older, exactly, because it's a drawing Ren created for the fanfic he and Hux are writing, showing Leia in a military uniform with the Alliance Starbird on it.

Poe notices Hux staring at the drawing, and he grins.

"Pretty cool, right? I like to think that Leia would still honor the Alliance even after the Empire is defeated."

The drawing isn't of Leia honoring the Alliance; it's her leading the Resistance, who have adopted the same symbol as the Alliance. Hux wants to point this out, but he also wants to snatch the sketchbook away from Poe, because Poe has no right to even glimpse at the world he and Ren have created.

"The Alliance is absorbed into the New Republic," Hux says dismissively. "Leia is Chief of State. She doesn't need to wear a Starbird to honor the Alliance."

Poe shrugs. "It's still cool, though. I like that it's something Kylo came up with - his own idea."

Poe picks up the sketchbook to further admire the drawing. If he turns a few pages, he'll find a drawing of General Hux in military uniform staring back at him, and how will Hux explain that?

Hux is going to throttle Ren. He turns to glare at him, and finds that Ren has an egg roll stuffed halfway into his mouth. He chews noisily and avoids eye contact with Hux.

"Hey, Hux," Poe says, oblivious to the tension in the room, "You got plans tonight? Why don't you come out with Kylo and I?"

"You won't like the place we're going," Ren says around a mouthful of food.

Hux's eyes narrow. He can think of nothing he'd like less than spending an evening in a seedy dive bar in the company of Poe Dameron, but he doesn't need Ren to make that decision for him.

"I'm busy. I have work to get done," he says.

Poe grins at him. "But didn't you say you were finished all your work?"

* * *

Maz's Place is a pub in an older area of the city, past its prime but well maintained, with wood panel walls and cracked leather chairs. A lively crowd is in tonight. Some of them are watching sports games on the TVs around the pub, some are gathered around the pool tables at the back. Hux shudders as his shoe sticks to something on the floor. This is exactly the kind of place he hates, and he tries to ignore that he was warned he wouldn't like it.

A few steps ahead, Poe's curly head bobs through the crowd. He seems to be leading them somewhere, and soon a greeting is called out. Rey and Finn are waiting for them at a booth near the back.

They both grin as Poe bounces into the other side of the booth. Based on the gossip around the park, Hux has been under the impression that Poe and Finn are dating, but he notes now that Rey and Finn are sitting _very_ close together. Perhaps he's mistaken. On the other side of the table, Ren slides in beside Poe. Hux has heard Ren mention this group often, and being faced with the four of them fit perfectly in the booth, Hux feels very much like he's not meant to be here.

"Hux? Aren't you going to sit down?" Rey asks. Hux stiffly takes a seat at her side.

"Have you ordered anything yet?" Poe asks.

"No, they haven't," a voice says.

A tiny old woman in an apron and enormous round spectacles is approaching their table. She can't be more than five feet tall. She peers around the table, magnified eyes making her look like some sort of insect. Her gaze stops on Hux.

"Who's this one?" she asks as she scrutinizes him. Hux feels as if his soul is being laid bare.

"Maz, this is Hux," Ren says.

"And what does Hux drink?"

_Wine. Whiskey._ Anything right now, to take the edge off this evening. Hux wants to be able to drive later, though, to ensure that Ren doesn't end up spending the night on Poe's questionable couch. "Coffee," Hux says.

Maz nods. She seems to know the orders of everyone else at the table and doesn't bother asking them. Before leaving, she points to one of the TVs in the corner. "I've got something on for you lot," she says. The TV is tuned to a channel currently airing The Empire Strikes Back.

Ren is immediately focused on the scene of Luke and Darth Vader's confrontation on Bespin, and Rey and Poe turn towards it as well. Hux, too, would very much like to focus on a familiar interest, but he can’t relax so easily here. Finn seems to take this as a moment of kinship, and he offers Hux a small smile.

"I don't get it either," Finn says. "Don't they get tired of it? We act out this stuff all day."

Poe laughs. "Speak for yourself, Finn! Snoke rejected my application to play Leia."

"Well if I ever get to be Luke, you can be Leia," Rey tells him consolingly, though she's grinning. As Luke speaks on screen, she mouths the words " _I'll never join you!_ " along with him. "Kylo, do you remember how often we used to act out this scene?"

"'Used to'?" Poe teases her.

"You should have seen it when we were kids. We'd do full-day enactments."

"We were _very_ into it," Ren assures, smiling as he touches the thin white scar over his jaw where an errant branch used as a 'lightsaber' had once struck him.

Maz returns to the table to hand out their drinks. With a hot mug of coffee in his hands, Hux finds it much easier to sit back and listen to the conversation around him. They continue sharing stories of childhood escapades in playing Star Wars; Poe divulges what he calls 'the Dagobah training incident', and Finn confesses that he hadn't actually seen Star Wars until Rey and Poe made him watch it last year, much to their horror. When they ask Hux for childhood tales, he briefly considers sharing the story of the blue light-up lightsaber. If it were just Ren, he might consider it. Instead, he says he just read the novels when he was young.

The evening wears on, and Rey, Finn, and Poe migrate over to a pool table, leaving Hux and Ren at the booth. Hux prefers it like this, but he's still angry with Ren from earlier. Ren says nothing for a long while. He's sprawled out on one side of the booth, arms draped over the back, relaxing as comfortably as if he were in his own apartment. He gazes out over the pub without looking at anything.

"The bathrooms aren't too gross here," he says.

Hux blinks in confusion. "What?"

"The bathrooms. I know you have that weird thing about public bathrooms," Ren explains. He's still staring out at the other patrons instead of meeting Hux's eye, but he draws into himself, bringing his arms close to his chest as he rests his palms on the table. "But they're not that bad here, if you have to go."

Hux blinks in confusion again at this strange bit of information Ren thinks will benefit him. "I don't."

"Okay." Ren runs a finger down the side of his empty glass, pushing around the condensation. His lip is caught between his teeth and his shoulders slump more than usual.

It's the strangest thing Hux has ever seen.

"What's wrong with you?" he asks. Ren's head stays down, but his eyes flick up to look at Hux. "You know I'm angry at you. Why aren't you trying to make it worse?"

"I don't _try_ to make things worse," Ren grumbles.

"Go on. Call me uptight, or make some comment about a stick up my ass. What's it going to be this time?"

Ren finally lifts his head, scowling, though there's a soft set to his mouth that doesn't make it look intimidating at all. "I shouldn't have shown Poe that drawing," he says.

"You can do whatever you want. It's your artwork."

"Yeah, but it's _our_ thing." Ren returns to pushing around the condensation on his glass, creating absent patterns with his fingertip. "And it's good. It is - really, people would like to read it. Rey would love that we made her live in an old AT-AT. _But._ " Ren swallows and glances up at Hux again, eyes warm. "I know you don't want to share it. So, let's just keep it as _our_ thing."

Hux stares at him. "How much have you had to drink?" he asks suspiciously.

Ren's face sours and he rolls his eyes. "Not enough to put up with you, obviously. _Maz!_ "

"Shush, child!" Maz is already at their table with a fresh glass of beer for Ren and a cup of coffee for Hux. She frowns at Ren. "You should be thankful that I give you anything at all, after that stunt you pulled with the fake ID."

Ren groans. "That was _years_ ago."

"He thought I wouldn't notice!" Maz tells Hux, who rather enjoys hearing Ren so disparaged. "Ears like that, and he thought I wouldn't notice that he wasn't the same boy on the ID!"

" _Maz,_ " Ren pleads. She gives him a shrewd look, but turns to leave their table.

As soon as she's out of earshot, Hux says, "She should run the cantina on Takodana."

Ren lets out something like a wail and drags his hands over his face. “No. _No._ We aren't making it a plot point that Maz can recognize people based on their _ears._ ”

"No, that wouldn't do,” Hux agrees. “Eyes, maybe?"

* * *

All things considered, the evening is more enjoyable than Hux expects. Most of it is spent with Ren, but even the conversation he’s forced to make with the others isn't as uncomfortable as he thought it would be. Still, he's relieved that the pub closes early on a weeknight. He drops off the others at their homes (mostly to ensure that no one ends up on Poe's questionable couch) and then pulls up in front of Ren’s apartment.

"You had _fu-un,_ " Ren teases him, drawing the word out into two syllables. After several drinks at the pub, his grin is even more lopsided than usual. "And you used a public bathroom."

"I did not."

"But you thought about it. I saw you."

Hux rolls his eyes. If he were ever to consider using a public bathroom, it would not be in an establishment like Maz's Place.

" _So._ Do you want to come upstairs?" Ren asks. He bats his eyelashes in a poor attempt at seduction.

"I'm not fucking you when you're like this, Ren."

"Ugh. _Fine._ " Ren opens the car door and drops his apartment keys into a puddle. "Oops."

" _Ren,_ honestly. Maybe I _should_ come upstairs with you."

On the way up to Ren's apartment, Ren drops his keys twice more. When he does it again, Hux refuses to pick them up.

"You're doing it on purpose," he says.

Ren grins like the little shit he is as he bends to pick up his own keys.

Once inside, Hux makes sure Ren does the most basic things before going to bed. "Brush your teeth," he commands, "Wash your face." Ren tries to flop into bed fully dressed, and Hux has to pull him out. "Get undressed."

"I thought you said you weren't going to fuck me?"

"I'm not. There's nothing attractive about a man who can barely get his own pants off."

Ren pouts, but wiggles out of his clothes and under the duvet. He's much more manageable like this, Hux thinks, and he smirks as he makes a show of tucking Ren into bed like a child. Ren looks almost sweet, sleepy eyed and relaxed. In a fit of inspiration, Hux picks up the stuffed tauntaun from where it landed on the floor and tries to nestle it against Ren's shoulder.

It's a mistake. Ren's arms stretch out, much the same way as they did this morning, and he again captures Hux into an iron grip against his chest.

" _Ren!_ " Hux protests. "Let go of me!"

Ren's nose presses against the top of his head. "You smell nicer than a tauntaun."

"How flattering." Hux's face is squashed into Ren's chest, and he struggles against him for another moment before giving up.

"At least let me undress," Hux bargains. Tomorrow is their day off so he won't need to worry about rushing to work in the morning, but he doesn't want to spend another night sleeping in his clothes.

"I thought you said you weren't going to-"

"For the last time, I'm not!"

Ren loosens his grip enough for Hux to slip free. Hux stands to undress, dropping the Starbird-patterned t-shirt on top of the overflowing laundry hamper. Ren is already asleep when he turns back to the bed, the stuffed tauntaun tucked against his chest.

Hux can leave now. Tomorrow morning, Ren probably won't even remember that Hux was supposed to stay.

Hux switches off the light and slips beneath the TIE fighter duvet beside Ren.


	3. Chapter 3

Hux wakes like he's been struck by lightning, nerves buzzing with the lingering memory of the dream. The details are quickly fading and he clings to them as he presses his hands to his eyes. Starkiller Base, the bridge above the oscillator, and Kylo Ren's lightsaber clasped between the two struggling figures... it had been so vivid, so real, as if Hux was watching it on a movie screen.

"Ren," Hux says, " _Ren._ "

Ren doesn't stir, so Hux disentangles his arms from around Ren's waist to shake him. Ren grumbles after several moments, and he rolls over, arms outstretched. After yesterday, Hux knows what to expect. He struggles away before Ren can capture him.

" _Ren!_ "

"Shh."

"You need to kill Han Solo."

Ren groans. "I know. That guy is always checking out your ass."

"What? No, not _that_ Han Solo." Half asleep, Ren is thinking of Dopheld Mitaka, who plays Han Solo at the _Deathstar Experience_. "I mean Han Solo, _your father_."

Ren cracks open one bleary eye.

"How?"

Hux recounts the dream in as much detail as he can remember. Han calling out Kylo Ren's name, and Kylo Ren turning to face him. Han asking Kylo Ren to remove his helmet. Kylo Ren feeling torn apart by the pull of the dark and the light. Then Kylo Ren handing his lightsaber to Han, and their struggle, until Kylo Ren ignites his lightsaber to plunge it though Han's heart.

Hux is nearly vibrating as he puts the scene into words. Bursts of unrestrained inspiration like this strike him so rarely, and when he finally finishes and glances at Ren, Ren is watching him with a smile.

"Get your laptop," Ren says.

Hux springs from the bed and hurries to the next room. His hands are nearly shaking with excitement as he unbuckles his bag, but the moment he slides out the laptop, there's a knock at the door.

" _Kylo!_ " comes Rey's cheerful voice from the other side. "Kylo, wake up!"

Hux freezes. He's standing in the middle of Ren's living room, wearing nothing but briefs and socks, clutching his laptop to his chest like a shield, and Ren's cousin is pounding at the door to get in. Hux bolts back to Ren's bedroom.

" _Why is Rey here?_ " he hisses.

Ren is sitting up in bed, rubbing at his eyes. "She always comes over on our days off," he says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Hux's mind is racing. If Rey sees him here, she's going to know that he spent the night. She's going to make assumptions. And it's even worse than it looks - he and Ren hadn't even had sex last night. It was practically a _sleepover._

"Kylo?" Rey calls again.

" _Coming!_ " Ren hollers as he rolls out of bed.

Hux yanks on his clothing as fast as he can. He shoves up the window pane, but Ren grabs his arm before he can get a leg out onto the fire escape.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Ren demands.

" _Leaving,_ " Hux snaps, "let go of me!"

He tries to yank his arm free, but Ren is much stronger, and he pulls Hux back fully into the room.

"Just stay in here if you don't want Rey to see you. _God._ What's wrong with you?"

Hux scowls at him. Okay, so maybe escape through the window was a ridiculous idea in a moment of panic, but Ren doesn't seem to understand what it will mean for Rey to see Hux here. It's so much worse than Phasma mistaking their arguing for something more. Hux tries to imagine what it will be like when Rey's innocent face is peering up at him as they act out their scenes together at the park, knowing what she'll infer about his presence in Ren's apartment. He should have left last night when he had the chance. It's too late for that now, though, so he awkwardly shuffles after Ren (still wrapped in the TIE fighter duvet) into the living room and tries to appear inconspicuous.

"There you are!" Rey laughs as Ren lets her inside. "I was starting to wonder. I didn't think you'd had that much to drink last night to - _oh._ Hi, Hux!"

"Good morning," Hux offers stiffly. Rey seems surprised to see him, but not _too_ surprised. Hux's mouth presses into a thin line.

"I won't be here long," Rey says as she follows Ren to the living room, slinging her backpack off her shoulder as she goes, "but I had to bring over some things for you." She upends the bag and a handful of plastic figures tumble out onto the couch. Ren's face lights up. As Hux moves closer, he can see that the figures are a collection of Star Wars characters dressed in Endor gear from Return of the Jedi.

"I didn't think you still had these," Ren says, grinning as he examines the Leia figure.

"I didn't think so either, but I was sorting through my stuff to get ready for the move and I found them packed away. They'll go great with your collection, right?"

Action figures clutter almost every available surface in Ren's apartment. Hux doesn't know how he can keep track of the disorganized mess, but somehow Ren knows exactly the place to add the new figures. Rey joins him in setting them up. Hux just watches. Like this, it's not difficult to imagine the two of them as kids.

The new figures are added to a group of Ewoks set up like a nativity scene. As Ren puts the finishing touches on the arrangement, Rey wanders over to the corner of the apartment with Ren's art supplies. The Leia sketches Poe had been sorting through last night are still scattered over the floor.

"Did Poe decide what he wants for his painting yet?" Rey ask as she sits down to look at them. 

"Not yet, but he's leaning towards classic Leia," Ren answers. He grins at Rey. "Think you can get used to seeing your work uniform hanging in your living room every day?"

Rey laughs. "I guess I'll have to. And if you paint it, it's going to be awesome!" She picks up the Leia sketch and holds it up, imagining how the finished piece would look hanging in the shared apartment with Poe and Finn. Hux still isn't entirely sure who is dating who in that situation.

She sets aside the sketch, and Hux doesn't notice the disaster unfolding before his eyes until it's too late. Rey has picked up Ren's sketchbook. Hux's mind flashes back to yesterday, with Poe in the very same place, about to find the drawing of General Hux in First Order uniform. Hux panics. He needs to do something - distract her, or make another run for the fire escape maybe. Before he can move, Rey opens the sketchbook and lands on the drawing. 

Her face breaks into a wide grin. She holds up the sketchbook to compare General Hux with the tense, panicking Hux of reality.

"Wow, it looks just like you!" she says.

What can Hux say? How can he possibly explain why Ren has drawn him in military uniform? He tries to remember if there was anything written on the page, anything he can use as explanation, but Ren's only note had been ' _shoulder pads_ ' in response to Hux's narrow shoulders.

Before Hux can begin his explanation, Rey has already turned the page to move on in the sketchbook, apparently not finding anything odd about it. It does nothing to sooth Hux's annoyance. He shoots a glare at Ren before escaping the safety of the bathroom.

Scowling at his own reflection, Hux has to remind himself of what he told Ren yesterday - it's Ren's artwork, and he can do whatever he wants with it, show whoever he chooses. Rey had not asked any questions about it, at least. Perhaps she'd mistaken the First Order uniform for the Imperial uniform that Hux wears at work. It's still not a comforting thought. She just seemed so _unsurprised_ that Ren created such a detailed drawing of Hux, as unsurprised as she was to find Hux here this morning.

Hux's scowl deepens. His reflection leaves no doubt that he spent the night at Ren's place. His hair is a mess and two days of stubble tinge his jaw red. At least he's not wearing the Alliance Starbird shirt that caused him so much aggravation yesterday, but in his rush to get dressed, he grabbed what is undoubtedly his most hated of all Ren's novelty t-shirts - ' _come to the dark side, we have cookies_ '. It's painfully obvious that the shirt could only belong to Ren. Hux pulls it off and tosses it to the floor. His own shirt is still hanging on the back of the door where he'd left it to dry two days ago. He buttons it back on, but even his best attempt to neaten his hair doesn't make him look any more presentable.

Rey won't be here long, anyway. She'll leave soon enough and then he and Ren can return to working on their fanfic in peace. 

"I really need to get going," Rey is saying when Hux emerges from the bathroom. "I'm going _couch shopping_ with Finn and Poe." She says the words like they're some odd and delightful concept. "That's a thing that grownups do, right? Go shopping for couches?"

"I wouldn't know. I found this in an alley." Ren pats his worn couch.

"Gross!" Rey says, impressed. "I'll see you both at work tomorrow, okay?" She's nearly to the door when she turns back. "Oh, Hux. I left my jacket in your car last night. Can I get it now?"

Reluctantly, Hux grabs his bag and goes with her down to his car. She climbs into the backseat to retrieve the jacket, a worn-out thing made of tan and red leather that Hux is sure belonged to Poe and/or Finn at some point.

"Thanks," Rey says when she emerges. Hux nods in response. Then she _looks_ at him. Escape instincts spark through Hux's limbs, but before he can retreat into the building, it starts.

"You know, I'm really proud of Kylo." Rey smiles up at Hux like a confidant. "He's come a long way, you know? Things weren't easy for him growing up with our family. I was just a kid - I didn't understand it, or know what I could do, but the games we played - he need them. Now he's doing so well with his art, and everything."

Hux has no idea why she feels the need to tell him this, nor how to respond. "He attacked a child two days ago," he points out, as proof of how well Ren is doing.

Rey laughs. "Well, yeah - but that was only because the kid was insulting you. That kind of stuff always bothers me, but Kylo wouldn't have cared if it wasn't about you. You mean a lot to him, you know?"

It's too much. It's oversharing. Hux makes a sound, perhaps something that sounds like agreement, and it seems to satisfy Rey enough that she smiles and heads off to her own car.

Hux retreats into the building and sits down at the bottom of the sagging staircase. He thought Rey was as guarded as he was, but for some reason she had felt the need to share her thoughts with him about Ren's progress forward from a troubled childhood. Hux presses his fingers to his temples. He doesn't care. Why should he care?

Ren's heavy tread is drawing nearer. Hux glances up, and Ren stares curiously down at him as he comes down the stairs.

"I'm going to the store," he announces.

The grocery store is only a short walk from Ren's apartment. Hux feels like a spectre trailing after Ren through the aisles, watching him pick up packaged snacks and sugary cereals. Rey's words echo in Hux's mind, despite his best efforts to suppress them. It would be easier if she'd only jumped to same conclusion that Phasma did. But there was more than that. Hux might have suspected it. Months of interaction with Ren made it clear that Ren feels more affinity for the fictional parents of his Kylo Ren character than his true family, and even the backstory he's created with Han and Leia is tinged with neglect.

Hux can't think of a single thing to say. He follows Ren in silence as they wander through the store. Ren needs milk - the last carton is still sitting rancid on the kitchen counter, but Hux doesn't speak up even as they pass through the dairy section. Hux wishes he could blame Ren's terrible soap for the tight, itchy feeling in his chest.

Eventually, Ren glances up from studying a box of corn dogs to look at Hux.

"What's wrong with you?" he asks.

"Nothing," Hux snaps too quickly.

Ren raises an eyebrow at him. "You're acting weird. Did Rey say something to you?"

When Hux says nothing, Ren lets out a huff and turns back to the corn dogs. "You're angry that she saw that drawing, aren't you? She didn't know what it was. I haven't told her about our story. I said I wouldn't, didn't I?"

"Rey... seems to have confused nature of our relationship," Hux says. When Ren looks at him again, Hux continues with, "we're not friends."

"No," Ren agrees. "I've, uh. I've felt the same way. For a while."

There's a small smile on Ren's face as he drops the corn dogs into his basket. Hux feels cold all over. Things are going very wrong, very quickly.

"You… you have?" Hux asks.

"Yeah. I didn't want to bring it up, because. Well." Ren picks up another box from the shelf and studies it intently, not reading the words. His face has gone very red. "But maybe we can- I don't know. Just admit it already? Nothing would really change that much, anyway." Ren chances a look at Hux, cheek dimpling with his crooked smile. "And- it's been pretty nice these past couple days waking up with you beside me."

"I…" Hux stammers.

"Or we can just keep going like this," Ren continues quickly, sounding almost apologetic when faced with Hux's stunned expression. "I like what we're doing now, anyway."

" _Ren,_ " Hux says, finally finding his voice, "we're not _doing_ anything. We're not - not _that_. And we're not friends. We're just coworkers."

Ren rolls his eyes. "Ugh, forget I mentioned it. Coworkers, okay. Coworkers," he grumbles, scowling at the corn dog boxes again. The shopping basket creaks in his hand.

"Yes, coworkers," Hux repeats. Ren's emotions are never subtle, but Hux finds himself taken aback by how easily this simple fact set Ren off. "Why would you think we're friends? We hardly know anything about each other. You don't even know my first name.”

"Armitage," Ren says without hesitation.

Hux pauses. "You only know that because you saw it on my staff card at the park."

"Yeah, because I see you scan it every morning when we drive to work together, because we're _friends!_ " The sudden leap in volume of Ren's voice startles the shoppers around them. An old man glares at them from the end of the aisle. "God, you're difficult. So what, I just have to tell you my first name, and then we pass your stupid friendship standards or whatever?"

" _You're making a scene,_ " Hux hisses, conscious of the others shoppers now watching their argument.

"Because I'm pissed off!" Ren bursts out. "For fucks sake! You've spent the past two nights in my bed, you're shopping with me on our day off. You invited me to meet your dad tonight! And you're stupid enough to say we're not even friends?"

"We never agreed to-"

Ren makes a sound like a snarl as his leg swings out, putting a dent in the cooling unit of the freezer. The sound of scampering steps is probably someone going to call security. Hux's skin is crawling. He needs to get out of here before it gets any worse.

"I'm leaving," he informs Ren, and does not wait to see Ren's reaction before he turns away. Behind him, he hears Ren swearing and a crash that sounds like a shopping basket being hurled against the ground, but Hux doesn't stop walking.

When Hux reaches his car, he lets his forehead rest against the wheel and wills his heart to stop racing. He had known from the very beginning that Ren was uncontrolled, and prone to blights of rage at the slightest provocation. Hux hated it. He hated the complete lack of control he felt when faced with someone so unreasonable.

The tinny sound of a radio blares out an open window from one of Ren's neighbors. Hux glances up at the window to Ren's apartment with its Boba Fett curtains. The Force Awakens had been an interesting project, and Hux had enjoyed working on it. That's why he let this carry on as long as it had. Ren just proved why Hux should have parted ways with him long ago.

* * *

Millicent begins voicing her complaints the moment Hux steps through the door. She winds around his legs, meowing indignantly. She still has food in her dish, and water in her fountain, but she's been alone for two days and wants Hux to be aware of this fact.  When he reaches out to stroke her head in apology, she turns away, trotting off to sit on the couch with her back to him.

Her ginger fur is one of the few spots of color in Hux's apartment. Even Hux's books are kept in a cabinet so their colourful spines don't draw the eye. Uncluttered, streamlined spaces have always been the most relaxing. It's comfortable being here, Hux thinks, a private place for him, alone, as he prefers to be.

A quick shower and shave allows him to step back into the structured pattern he prefers to start the day with. He measures three tablespoons of dark roast into the coffee machine, then opens the fridge to stare blankly into it. He's not as hungry as he should be, considering the complete lack of nutrients he's eaten in the past two days.

Still, he goes through the motions of cooking breakfast, and soon sits down with a plate of scrambled eggs and a hot cup of coffee. It's the same chair he always sits in at the kitchen table, facing the small window. The other chairs have barely been used, by Hux or his rare visitors. If Ren were ever to come here, he would likely sit with the legs tipped back and his arm dangling over the backrest. No - he would want to sit on the couch in the living room, and eat with their plates on their laps.

Why is Hux thinking about that, anyway? He pushes the thought from his mind, and finishes what he can of his breakfast. Once the dishes are washed, he sits down with his laptop and opens _Tarkin.doc._

The in-progress chapter outlines the first meeting between Tarkin and Vader. Hux struggled with it yesterday, feeling uninspired with the idea. He's frustrated with himself for that now. Hux isn't a writer who needs the fleeting spark of inspiration to motivate him. Discipline and perseverance are what drives him forward. He maintains a schedule for his writing and chapter updates, and he doesn't stray from it, until recently. It won't happen again. He assures himself of that as he sets to work on the next chapter.

Millicent jumps up onto his lap halfway through the afternoon, apparently having forgiven him for his absence. Hux pauses from typing to stroke her head. She's always been a temperamental cat, and Hux is one of the few humans she likes, occasionally. Years of interaction have allowed her to begin to tolerate Phasma too. Hux doesn't even want to think of how she would react to Ren. She would despise him, surely, with his loud voice and heavy footsteps.

_Dammit._ He needs to stop thinking about Ren.

As the afternoon wears on, Hux manages to finish and post the new chapter of his fanfic before packing away his laptop. Millicent shoots him an unimpressed stare when she sees that he's leaving again. She returns to her perch on the couch with her back to him.

The drive always feel unfamiliar, but once Hux reaches the edge of his childhood neighbourhood, it's hard to believe he hasn't lived here for over two years now. Elm trees canopy the streets, towering above the picket fences that separate the suburban homes into their neatly spaced rows. Hux pulls up in front of his house. Or just his father's house, as it is now. Hux doesn't get out of the car just yet.

The dinner parties his father holds have never been particularly enjoyable. As a child, Hux would receive brief praise from his father's friends for his academic achievements before passing the rest of the evening in silent boredom. Now he prepares himself for the inevitable questions of _don't you have a real job yet_ and _didn't I tell you that you wouldn't be able to do anything with a BA_. For tonight, Hux's father suggested that Hux bring someone with him to the party. Hux had jumped at the chance, and extended the invitation to Ren, of all people. Ren's unrefined looks and lack of any sort of credentials would surely offend the refined sensibilities of everyone there, but at least Hux would have had someone to talk to.

Maybe it's not too late to invite Phasma instead. Hux sends her a text, then steadies himself before getting out of the car.

Hux is the first to arrive at the party, and he lets himself in. The scent of cooking food leads him to the kitchen, where his father is poking at a casserole dish inside the oven.

"Good evening," Hux says.

Brendol turns to regard him, not looking at Hux but over his shoulder. "I thought you were bringing someone," he says in response.

"He couldn't make it."

Brendol's bushy moustache hides his mouth, but it's never difficult to tell when he's frowning. "I cooked for him."

"Phasma might come instead," Hux offers, hoping that will appease his father. He eyes the bottle of wine lying in wait on the counter. It's the expensive kind that's reserved for Brendol's guests at these parties. As much as Hux dreads it, he hopes they'll arrive soon. He really needs a glass of that wine to get through tonight.

Until then, he initiates the mechanical conversation he and his father have each time they speak. "Everything is well at the office, I assume?"

"You should have told me sooner that your friend wasn't coming tonight," Brendol grumbles as he moves a pot off the stove.

Hux glances at his phone. Phasma responded to his text, but she's stuck having dinner with her own parents tonight. There goes the chance that Hux will have someone to fill a chair at the dinner table. It can't make that much of a difference, surely. With the size of the dinner parties Brendol usually holds, one extra person couldn't have involved too much additional cooking.

Brendol removes the lid of the pot and uses tongs to remove three sous vide steaks from the water.

Only three.

Hux glances to the dining room, expecting to find the table set with places for all the guests, but here there are only three settings as well.

"Isn't anyone else coming?" Hux asks.

"I had thought so," Brendol says gruffly.

The food is portioned for three. The table is set for three. Hux, his father, and Ren. Hux can't decide if he wants to be sick or reach for the wine.

"He's- he's just a coworker," Hux says, shocked that his father had extended this invitation. Had Hux mentioned Ren too familiarity, that Brendol thought it was important to meet him? "I told you he was my coworker."

"Yes. But you've always been peculiar about these things."

Hux _really_ needs that wine. He doesn't hesitate to open the bottle and pour himself a glass. It's the only thing that might get him through a dinner alone with his father being lectured on his own peculiarities, or having to talk about Ren and why he wasn't here.

He survives the evening, barely. Brendol doesn't let him leave without a reminder that Hux is to tell him if Ren is coming next time or not. His gruff tone suggests that Ren has already disgraced himself in Brendol's eyes forever, so it's probably a good thing that there's no chance of any future meetings.

At home, Millicent is once again miffed at having been left alone. Hux opens a tin of food for her as a peace offering, though she only stares at him. "Come on, Millie," he encourages. She remains unmoving, but once Hux's back is turned, he hears her trot over to the food dish to eat.

He checks his email, finding several comments on the Tarkin chapter he'd posted earlier:

> _-Happy to find a new update, it's been a while. This is great as usual._
> 
> _-The moment we've been waiting for since the very beginning - Vader's introduction - and it was AWESOME. This story just keeps getting better and better, thank you._
> 
> _-I really loved the way you wrote Wilhuff's thoughts about Vader <3 More soon please!_
> 
> _-I've been following your fics ever since The Last Temple (I know you deleted it now but I loved that one!). It's been a pleasure reading all this time, and I think this is your best one yet. Thanks for sharing with u_ s.

Hux cringes at the reminder of _The Last Temple._ It was one of the stories written while he was in high school. Some teenagers were great writers; Hux hadn't been one of them. _The Last Temple,_ like everything else he'd written during that time, was terrible. Terrible writing, terrible structure, just terrible. The fact that he'd thought it good enough to share online was the worst part. At least none of his stories from that time period had involved a red-haired, Force-sensitive 'original character'. Not that he hadn't considered it. All young fans dreamed of putting themselves into their favorite stories, but Hux had managed to resist the temptation.

Until now, well into his twenties, when he decided to spend months of his life writing the story of General Hux.

He closes his laptop, suddenly furious at himself. Of all the ways he could have inserted himself into the Star Wars series, he hadn't chosen a Jedi, or even a Force-user, but a character who led a regime echoing the oppressive sentiments of the Empire. And why? So that he could fit his character into the world Ren created for his own Mary Sue.

It's pathetic. Hux can't believe he's wasted so much time on it.

Even though it's not particularly late, Hux doesn't feel like doing anything else. He washes his face, brushes his teeth, changes into his pyjamas - all the things a proper adult should do before bed. The past two nights have been spent in the nest of blankets Ren calls a bed, and Hux is relieved to be sliding between his own crisply tucked sheets.

Millicent jumps onto the bed a few minutes later. She curls up in her favourite place against Hux's side. His alarm is set, the blinds are pulled closed. Everything is exactly as it should be.

Hours later, he finally falls asleep.

* * *

Dead silence in the staff room is the first sign that something is wrong. The faces of Hux's coworkers are grim and drawn. Mitaka looks particularly harrowed as he clutches a styrofoam coffee cup in his shaking hands. No one will look at Hux directly, but Hux can only stand a few moments of their furtive glances before he has to leave the room.

He should have expected this. Ren is not good at compartmentalizing. If his mood is anything like it was in the grocery store yesterday, everyone will know it very soon.

"Hey, nerd." Phasma sounds amused as she sidles up to Hux in the hall. "What did you do to Kylo?"

" _Nothing,_ " Hux snaps.

"He's worse than usual. Did you guys have a-" Phasma's grin falls as she catches sight of Hux's face. "Oh, wow. You guys really did have a fight."

Hux is aware that he looks rather haggard today. It doesn't matter. His face will be covered by costume makeup soon enough. But the way Phasma is looking at him makes it seem like she's dangerously close to uttering Hux's most hated words - _are you okay_.

Instead, she asks, "Want me to beat him up?"

A sound that might be laughter huffs it's way out of Hux's chest.

"Seriously, just tell me and I'll kick his ass," Phasma insists.

"I'll get back you on that," Hux says.

His prediction was right - Ren is an absolute terror on set. Darth Vader's authentic rage thrills the guests as they tour through the _Deathstar Experience_ , but it doesn't bode quite so well for Ren's coworkers. He snaps and snarls at anyone who dares to so much as breathe too close to him. The sets rattle from the violent force of his stomping. Around midday, a tour has to be delayed as a misfire during the lightsaber battle between Vader and Obi-Wan lands Lor San Tekka with a black eye. 

Finn keeps shooting imploring looks at Hux. Hux ignores them. Ren isn't his responsibility. He's not Ren's handler. It's always been plainly clear that Ren is out of control, and today he's just showing his true colours.

Tarkin and Vader have fewer scenes in the _Deathstar Experience_ than the other characters, so they have longer waiting periods during tours. Ren has always passed this time by driving Hux up the wall. Hux waits for it all day, sure any movement or breath will set Ren off with a rude remark about Hux being uptight, high-strung, et cetera.

It doesn't come. Ren doesn't speak to Hux. He doesn't look at Hux. He storms around, shouts, does his best to be as loud and obnoxious as possible. For Hux, it's the quietest day he's ever had on set.

The hours crawl by.

How did Hux pass his workdays before Ren? He didn't, he supposed. Ren has been at the park from Hux's very first day on set. They'd been at odds immediately. Ren quickly figured out exactly how to get under Hux's skin, and Hux rose to the bait, despite knowing better. The tension between them hadn't eased up even when their mutual loathing expanded to include a shared love of Star Wars, and sex. Hux will not deny that Ren is attractive. Their personalities are just at such odds. It's constant push and pull. Ren's intensity pushes Hux's carefully ordered life into new places, and Hux's rigid routines pull Ren's passions into a more focused output.

_Shit._

Hux never was very good at this stuff.

The end of the day finds several employees occupying themselves with random distractions as the sound of crashing echoes from within the dressing room. Again, Hux finds himself the subject of furtive glances. Determined to maintain his professionalism, Hux brushes past his coworkers and into the dressing room.

Ren doesn't look up when Hux enters. He just continues removing his costume, pieces of the armor clattering against the floor.

By now, Hux finds himself almost impressed that Ren is able to snub him so effectively. It's not like Ren at all to be so thorough in his restraint. Hux is relieved. It will be easy to carry on like this, as coworkers, once Ren has calmed down. Then they continue on in their jobs with no confusion about what their relationship is. What it should have remained all along.

It will be easy, Hux tells himself. Soon enough.

Though he can't believe he was foolish enough to think he could get through today without a confrontation.

Their eyes meet by accident when Hux turns to leave the dressing room. Ren is not just angry, but _furious._

Hux quickly looks away, but it's too late. Ren is like a hound after its prey.

"You're a fucking coward!" his snarls. He moves so quickly, crowding into Hux's space, looming over him. Hux staggers back, but Ren has him pressed against the wall. 

"Ren-"

"You like me," Ren says.

"This is inappropriate." Hux attempts to slide past him, but Ren doesn't let him. He moves even closer, not allowing Hux an inch of space.

"You like me!" Ren says again, louder. "You can pretend that you don't, I don't care. You can act like I'm annoying and that you don't like what we do together. I don't care!" His voice is angry, shaking, but absolutely determined. "But I know you like spending time with me. So don't try to pretend like _I'm_ the reason you don't want this!"

Hux's heart is thundering hard enough that his vision blurs. He keeps his eyes fixed on the floor, but from the corner of his eye, he can see Ren's face, eyes blazing with intensity as he looms inches from Hux's face. Hux can almost feel the raw energy radiating off him. Words stick in his mouth. He doesn't know what to say.

"Can I come over tonight?" Hux murmurs.

Ren draws back to look at him for a long moment.

"Yeah," he says.

* * *

Ren is silent during the car ride, slouched down in the passenger seat with his arms folded over his chest. His temper has burned out to the silent, drawn-out pout that always follows an outburst like the one in the dressing room. Hux wonders when Ren's unpredictable moods became so familiar to him

Surprisingly, Ren's apartment doesn't seem to be in any worse condition that usual. Hux expected the last chair to be in splinters, or an angry whorl of red paint cast across the floor. But the walls are intact with their blanket of posters, the action figures lining the shelves are as carefully arranged as ever. Ren still hasn't said a word, and Hux doesn't know what to say either. He's certain that he doesn't want this to be the last time he's here, though.

"Ren," he starts, "I-"

" _Shut up._ "

Hux winces, but he follows Ren to the couch when beckoned. Ren picks up his ancient laptop from the floor and starts it up. The laptop should have been put out of its misery long ago. Nearly five minutes pass before a sad start-up sound gurgles out of its speakers. Another minute passes before it responds to Ren's furious clicking, and then he shoves the laptop over to Hux.

A word document is open on the screen. Untitled, but Hux immediately recognizes the scene before him:

> _"find them," kylo ren told the stormtroopers. they obeyed his command instantly and spread out to search the oscillator, leaving kylo ren to conduct his own search._
> 
> _he knew han solo was here. he would find him, and face him, as leader snoke had commanded. this was a test.  kylo ren would prove that han solo meant nothing to him ._
> 
> _after searching the lower level of the scaffolding around the oscillator core, there was still no trace of han solo. kylo ren was reassured by this. hed separated himself from that man long ago. his difficulty sensing the man was proof of how little connection he now held to the man who had once been his father._
> 
> _still in search of han, kylo ren crossed the bridge to the other side of the oscillator. he was so focused on the hunt that he didnt hear the footsteps behind him_
> 
> _"BEN!"_
> 
> _kylo rens steps faltered to hear that name. he knew the voice that spoke it, and he knew just what he would see when he turned around._
> 
> _"han solo," kylo ren said, "ive been waiting for this day for a long time."_
> 
> _han stared back at him. his face was was much older, lined and weather from when kylo ren had last seen it. he was sure han had never shown him that much concern before._
> 
> _"take off that mask" han said as he started to cross the bridge, approaching kylo. " you dont need it."_
> 
> _''what do you think youll see if i do?"_
> 
> _"the face of my son."_
> 
> _there was no tenderness or kindness in the words, but hans face reflected how seriously he meant them. he actually expected to find the boy he once cast aside hiding behind kylo rens mask. kylo ren wanted to prove him wrong. he unlaced his helmet and removed it, meeting hans stare. hans breath caught, startled by the man before him, no longer a child._
> 
> _"your son is dead," said kylo ren. "he was weak and foolish, like his father. so i destroyed him."_
> 
> _han resumed his approach, drawing neared to kylo ren on the bridge. "thats what snoke wants you to believe. but its not true. my son is alive."_
> 
> _"no. the supreme leader is wise.''_
> 
> _"snoke is using you for your power. when he gets what he wants, hell crush you." han was only an arms length away now, and kylo ren took a step back, startled. this close he could clearly feel hans presence through the force, a presence hed not felt this strongly in years. how familiar it was..._
> 
> _"you know its true" han said._
> 
> _kylo ren did know. seeing his father's face this clearly, something quaked in his chest. he knew where this path led. the pull of the light and the dark shaped him to what snoke wished him to be, and there would be no return._
> 
> _"its too late," kylo ren admitted._
> 
> _"no its not. leave here with me. come home. we miss you."_
> 
> _it couldnt be true. the hatred kylo ren had harbored for the people who raised him told him it wasnt true. but unbidden tears were welling in his eyes. he felt like that boy he once was, wanting nothing more than a family who cared for him. "im being torn apart." they were empty promises then, and they were empty promises now, but kylo ren ached for it. "i want to be free of this pain. i know what i have to do but i dont know if i have the strength to do it. will you help me ?"_
> 
> _"yes" han agreed, stepping closer. "anything."_
> 
> _kylo ren let his helmet fall from his shaking fingers. the weight of it echoed around the silence of the oscillator. next he unclasped his lightsaber from his belt and offered it to his father, cradling the pommel and cross guard in his hands. han glanced down at the lightsaber for a moment before he reached for it._
> 
> _kylo rens entire being ached as the opposing side of the force tore at him. the brilliant string of the light. the raging blaze of the dark. flames licked at him, cauterizing the wound where that weak boy had already left him. kylo ren ignited the lightsaber, letting its blade plunge through hans heart._
> 
> _hans face contorted in shock and pain, and kylo ren looked into his eyes for the last time._
> 
> _"thank you…''_
> 
> _he pulled the saber back to draw it out of hans chest. he savored the look of betrayal on the man's face in the last moment of his life. yet han reached for him, laying his hand against his sons face tenderly before his lifeless body fell from the bridge._

Hux's gaze remains on the laptop screen long after he finishes reading. The scene is exactly as he dreamt it, exactly as he described it to Ren. Scrolling almost to the top of the document, he re-reads the letters B-E-N. They're a surprise to Hux, and not just because Ren finally managed to find the shift key.

"Ben..."

"It's my name, legally," Ren grumbles. "I hate it. Every time someone calls me that, I feel like I'm just a pathetic little kid again." Ren looks at Hux, face sour with distaste. "But now you know my first name, and I know yours. So are we friends by your stupid rules?"

"I'm. I'm not..." Hux starts. "I'm not a great friend."

"Yeah, you made that much clear yesterday." Ren crosses his arms again and huffs out a sigh, firmly committed to his pout. "I didn't- I never said anything like that before, because I knew you'd be weird about it." Ren's bottom lip presses out as his pout becomes even more pronounced. "But I thought you considered us _friends_ at least."

"Yes, well. I'm- _peculiar_ about these things." That was the word his father used, and Hux supposed it fit. He'd panicked upon realizing that he might, maybe, just a little, _care_ about Ren, and reacted by distancing himself from Ren as quickly as possible. Peculiar indeed. He must be the very last person to notice the friendship he's built with Ren over these past few months. He hopes it's not too late to salvage it. "But I would like to… if you're willing to give me a second chance-"

" _Oh my god,_ " Ren groans, rolling his eyes. "You really are bad at this. Look, you don't have to swear an oath or make a blood pact to be my friend. Just let me punch you and we'll call it even."

"You can't be serious."

Ren is serious.

Hux moves a little closer and hesitantly offers his arm, trying not to wince in anticipation. Ren's knuckles collide with the bone of his shoulder, and Ren immediately yanks his fist back with a hiss.

" _Ow!_ " Ren complains, "you're fucking boney!"

Hux clutches at his shoulder. "Then you shouldn't have hit me!"

Ren shakes out his sore hand, scowling. But suddenly he's wearing that stupid little grin he gets every time he succeeds in annoying Hux.

"This is exactly why you need shoulder pads in your First Order uniform," he says.

"I do _not_ need shoulder pads."

"How about those gold tassel things, then. Epithets."

" _Epaulets,_ " Hux corrects, and considers it. The idea isn't unappealing. Perhaps they'll have to redesign the First Order General's uniform to include epaulets.

Ren retrieves his sketchbook and sits down with a fresh page open to sketch the new idea. Hux turns back to Ren's laptop. It's easy. It's always been easy. Hux thinks back to what Ren said yesterday - " _nothing would really change that much._ "  It wouldn't, Hux knows, but he's thankful all the same that Ren doesn't press the issue. Maybe Hux will bring it up again one day. For now, he pulls the laptop closer and settles back on the couch, comfortable, with his arm pressed against Ren's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you're interested in what happens to these two idiots in the future, I have a short follow-up piece posted at my tumblr [here.](http://helvel.tumblr.com/post/158603659515/as-promised-heres-a-bit-more-in-the-fanboy)


End file.
